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Kitchen accessories

Don't Buy slow cookers

by Jade Harding

We round up the Don't Buy-rated slow cookers that our expert tests show just aren't worth your money.

Put us to the test

Our Test Labs compare features and prices on a range of products. Try Which? to unlock our reviews. You'll instantly be able to compare our test scores, so you can make sure you don't get stuck with a Don't Buy.

We name and shame the slow cookers to avoid

We test slow cookers more thoroughly than anyone else to separate substandard models from those which are genuinely worth your cash.

Each slow cooker we review undergoes more than 70 separate assessments in the Which? test lab. The worst models we see deliver casseroles with over or undercooked lumps of meat, and can't be relied upon to evenly roast a chicken or keep a meal warm without drying it out. Unclear controls, poor instructions and tricky-to-clean parts are also hallmarks of slow cookers that attract our Don't Buy warning.

At the other end of the scale, our independent tests have uncovered Best Buy slow cookers that will treat you to delicious, evenly cooked hot meals time after time. And with Best Buy slow cookers available for less than £20, you can be confident that our reviews will guide you to the best value models.

How we uncover the best and worst slow cookers

We test how well each slow cooker can make a stew on both the low and high settings and how long it takes on each. We assess the quality of the food after cooking, and then leave the meal on the 'keep warm' setting for an hour to check whether it works correctly and doesn't dry out the ingredients.

If a slow cooker is capable of roasting a whole chicken, we test how well it does it. We check how evenly it roasts, what the meat looks like and whether it comes away from the bone easily.

Each slow cooker's instruction manual is assessed to ensure it offers good quality, straightforward advice, including adequate guidelines on what you can make, how long ingredients take to cook and if they offer any recipes to get you on your way.

Our tests also focus on how simple a slow cooker is to dismantle and clean, ensuring there are no stubborn dirt traps, and that the slow cooker is dishwasher safe.

If we declare a slow cooker to be a Don't Buy, you can be sure that it's one you should 100% avoid. No matter how tempting its price tag might be, you'll inevitably end up regretting your purchase.

Join Which?todayand access all our expert reviews of the latest slow cookers, so you can be sure that you get the best model for your money.